Beyond the Fire
by blushingyellow
Summary: Division is dead and Amanda is confined in a hole she has no chance of escaping from. The doubles have been captured and the Originals are back in place. Something is amiss though, and it seems only Alex sees it.
1. Chapter 1

Standing alone in the plane that had been home to her friends for the past few months, Alex couldn't believe it was over. No more missions, No more crazy Bitches trying to kill her and her family. Relief surrounded her and it was like this Giant pressure had been lifted up off of her chest. She turned around, Ryan's wall of crazy standing there waiting for him to return and something felt off.  
"Alex?" Nikita's voice sounded echoing off the metal walls of the plane. Alex turned again, pushing Ryan out of her mind for the moment as Nikita and Michael appeared in front of her. She exuded confidence, it's what drew people to her in the first place. They stayed because Nikita was the best, Alex was proud to call her family. Michael didn't stray to far from his fiance. Probably afraid, like Alex was, that something else might happen. That thought didn't seem to be anywhere near Nikita. She was happy and smiling, probably still masking her pain from losing Ryan. They all had felt that hit. Nikita Wrapped her Arms around Alex, hugging her tight. "We did it!" She whispered into Alex's ear. after what they had just done to the members of the Shop and to Amanda, the two of them were closer then before. It had been taxing, and Alex still felt her wounds from that fight the two of them had to stage. But she was right, They did it. The Wicked witch was dead, or as dead as they liked her for now.  
Nikita began to laugh softly, it wasn't manic or deranged. It was full of relief, the relief that Alex felt and soon her own laugh joined Nikita's. And as thier laughs molded together Birkoff's voice joined them, His glee just as apparent as their own. Sonja's hand intertwined with his, as if they were wleded together. Alex couldn't blame them.  
"We are Free Baby!" Birkoff exclaimed in his over dramatic way. Sonja sat quietly, looking up at Birkoff with her big chocolate eyes like he was her whole world. Then she glanced at Alex, Understanding and friendship there. Maybe They'd get back together to save the world from Traffickers. Or maybe that was something only Alex wanted to do. Alex looked around Birkoff and Sonja. He eyes searching for the one person she really wanted to see. Not that she didn't love her family but there were something she needed to say to a certain man and he should have been here by now.  
"Where is Sam?" She asked, regretting it the moment the words were out of her mouth. Michael and Birkoff avoided her gaze, their faces falling into that shallow sadness men often retreated to when they were uncomfortable. Nikita placed a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder and Sonja offered her a smile full of pity. Finally Michael looked her in her face.  
"He ran into us before we left and said he wasn't coming," He said as he reached into his jacket. Alex's heart starting to throb but she pushed it aside. That was okay, obviously the thing in the plane before had been a fluke. Maybe it was a piece of Owen slipping out and Sam realized she had been right. Alex had so many walls that had been knocked down recently but she could build them back up. She had to build them back up, because after what happened to Sean, she never wanted to feel this way before. "He asked me to give this to you." Michael handed Alex a pristine white envelope, her name scrawled across the top corner in brutish manly handwriting. She Folded it up and put it in her pocket, unsure if she actually wanted to read it or not.  
"I feel like they should have been here." Nikita said her facade fading as she turned to face Ryan's wall of crazy. Alex stood behind her, crossing her arms over her chest to stop herself from touching Sean's dogtags that were around her neck.  
"When I walked in here I sware I could see Ryan standing here." She said a soft chuckle to her voice as her eyes wondered over the wall. The atmosphere of the room had changed drastically, but this was what they needed. Being Division you don't get to mourn people, now they had that chance. "That wired, Sleep-deprived look in his eyes as he did everything he could to save our butts."  
"Yeah," Birkoff said speaking up. "And Sean would be over in the corner with a disproving look in his eye about everything we did. He would have never agreed with the plan. Too many variables." Alex nodded, guilt eating at her as she thought about him again. Nikita's voice however interrupted those thoughts.  
"But we did it. It's finally over." There was a collective sigh around the room, as every one came into their own about what had happen. Everything was going to be different now, they were free.

The party, if you can really call it that, broke up a little after that. Everyone excited to go on with their lives, to start fresh. Alex felt a little sad. She had a life to go to but it felt a little empty without Michael or Nikita or Birkoff in her ear. She wondered when she was going to see them again. Her little dysfunctional family, What was she going to do without them. She had one idea, and she couldn't wait to get started.


	2. Chapter 2

Expensive dresses, flawless make-up, and fancy words. That was Alex's world now. Every moment accounted for, every step she took planned out by her security team. This was her happy place, down in her basement a desolate room with stone walls, a punching bag hanging from the ceiling, exercise bikes in the corner, free weights by the door. No eyes on her, unlike the rest of her house, even in her own room. The camera's were killer on her privacy. The Sand bag didn't stand a chance again the pent up frustration that vibrated through Alex's body. She twisted on the balls of her feet, throwing all of the force into her elbow as she struck the bag. With a snap of the weak chain it came crashing down to the ground. Landing at her feet with a thump. The heavy wooden door burst open with a kick, Alex turned her attention just in time to see Matthew draw his gun as he ran into the room. His expression blank while he peered around the empty room looking for a threat. Alex's soft pink lips turned upward into a slight smirk as he lowered his gun and put it back into it's holster.  
"Never Mind. It's clear." He said, his norther English accent echoing through the room as he spoke into his comm. Adrenaline gone from her body, Alex's shoulders slumped. She turned her back on her head of security and walked towards the hydration station. She grabbed a fresh bottle of water, the plastic cold against her fingers. She rubbed it on the back of her neck and chest while she waited for Matthew to berate her. She almost didn't mind as long as his accent didn't slip back into the Russian he spoke with when angry.  
"You called for back up?" She asked, anxious for this night to be over.  
"Now that I know about your past, I know protecting you will be difficult." His face held no expression. Over the last year Alex had grown close to Matthew. She wasn't going to tell him about Division though until Nikita talked her into it. Even then Matthew's face had been stoic and unreadable. She often wondered if she made a mistake in telling him about it all, but then there were moments like this. Even if his face was unreadable she felt how much he cared about her. And she knew she had done the right thing. Which was going to make what she was going to do tonight so much harder.  
"And by now, you should know I can take care of myself." She said wiping her mouth after taking a long drink from the water bottle. She watched from the corner of his eyes as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. The only outward sign that he had any emotions at all.  
"We are not talking about this again. You can not get rid of me that easily." He said a soft playful edge to his voice that shocked Alex. She gave him a second glance but he moved on seamlessly to the next subject. "The event at the Museum is in a few hours. You need to get upstairs now if you are going to be ready in time." She smirked and followed him as he turned to walk out the door. She switched off the light and threw the empty water bottle in the trash by the door and they headed up the back stairs. Always the paranoid one Matthew peered out of the one way glass window before he opened up the secret door in the living room. No one besides Matthew on the staff knew it was there and that was how Alex liked it. She passed by him in the small opening into the living room, the furniture unused. "Marie hung up the blue dress for you."  
"I can pick out my own clothes." Alex grumbled, Her PR person had pressured her into hiring more people to work the house. They were just getting in her way.  
"Just get upstairs and Shower."

A knock sounded at her door as she finished zipping herself into the canary yellow dress, Marie's taste were good but seeing as this event was a black tie event the short blue mini dress just wouldn't work.  
"Ms. Udinov?" The door cracked open and Matthew peaked his head inside. His eyes avoiding her. His modesty for her was sweet. She chuckled to herself as she fastened the playful black beaded necklace around her lean neck. She slipped her hand back into her jewelry box, her heart stopping as her fingers grazed against smooth paper she could remember placing there. She pulled it out, the family scrawl of her name in the top corner of the envelope. She thought she had left this letter on the plane, unopened.  
"Alexandra, are you ready?" He asked, his voice shocking her back to reality. She couldn't believe she was looking at Sam's hand writing again. She slipped the envelop into her clutch and stood up. Read to go.  
"Yes, I'm ready."

The Musuem was crowded by the time her security ushered her inside the door. The curator stopped to greet her. His face contorted as he glanced at Matthew and the rest of Alex's security team. It was obvious he had no experience with people such as her. He kept stumbling and dropping things. He was sweaty and nervous. The eye liner he wore around his eyes starting to smear, but Alex said nothing. She just smiled and listened to him go on about the new ancient pottery exhibit. Matthew stayed perched at her side as the rest of the team did rounds, looking for risks. They didn't know what she knew though and when Senator Geller appeared, a pretty young girl on his arm.  
It had started as a favor for Nikita a few months ago. Nikita had some information about a dirty Politician but wasn't sure which one. Alex had been keeping an eye on Senator Geller as well as she could with security team always around her. She hadn't gotten much, except he never brought his wife to things like this. He preferred to have the young and the witless on his arm. Alex had actual gotten stuck talking to one of them the last time and she had wanted to shot her just to get out of the conversation. That probably didn't say good things about Alex if that was where she went first.  
Nikita told her to back off but something in her stomach just didn't feel right about that. She watched as Senator Geller dissapeared into the exhibit.  
"Ms. Udinov?" the Curator interrupted her thoughts. She smiled up at him, like she had been listening to him the whole time. Her face not giving her away. "Would you like to see the exhibit now?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly, as if he were afraid to upset her. She nodded her head, her soft curls bouncing out of the corner of her eye. He motioned his arm for her to walk before her. He followed as she walked through the doorway. The wood worn and darkness spread out before her. Just enough light to see the exhibits in the cases. Luckily Alex was use to low light, she could keep her attention on Senator Geller and the exhibits in front of her.  
"Aren't they beautiful?" The curator asked as Senator Geller pulled his blonde bimbo arm candy closer. Whispering something in her ear. Fear flashed before her eyes and it took all the self control Alex had not to jump between them and shove Senator Geller's title down his throat.  
"Gorgeous, Your preservation team is really the best I have seen." She said leaning closer to inspect the piece, a glimmer of an image bounced off the glass and she lost herself. Turning around abruptly it was gone, Matthew shot her a worried look. The curator just moved on to the next piece not noticing her behavior.  
Her nerves when on edge as the exited the exhibit, the bight light blinding her for a moment when they first exited. Matthew's hand settled on her lower back, Steadying her with his soft touch. She smiled up at him, his gaze forward not even on her. Senator Geller had left 90 seconds before they had. Alex had a hard time locating him through the crowd and waiters passing out food. She finally spotted him by the door, his guest cowering away from him. Alex peered around. of her guys and Matthew all had their eyes on her, She'd never be able to get out of here to follow Senator Geller like this. A plan popped into her head. He exited the hall, Now was the time.  
"Could you grab me a champagne?" She asked Matthew, his eyes suspicious as he glanced down at her. Like the good little soldier he was, he followed orders even if he wasn't in his job description. The second his back was turned she disappear behind a group of tall men standing next to the fountain of Venus. From there she was about to cut through to the women's bathroom without anyone from her team spotting her.  
This had been the plan from the start. Luckily the bathroom was deserted, giving her time to kick out the window and shimmy out into the night air. She spotted Senator Geller right away, standing at the Valet. She slipped her hand underneath the hem of her dress. Her fingers grazing the soft metal of the gun strapped to her thigh. She didn't believe she'd need it but better safe then sorry.  
"You don't want to do that Princess." He appeared out of the mist. His voice rough and the hair on the back of her neck stood up on end. She twisted, pointing the gun at his head. Rage running through her veins, rage she thought she had let go a year ago when she refused to read the letter he had left her. "You aren't going to shoot me." Sam said confidence pouring out of him. Alex wasn't quite as sure about that as he seemed to be...


End file.
